“My friends had nothing to do with this.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAOp5Q3IF3AW
848Please respect copyright.PENANAE8TSCGBJVh
It seemed an eternity after the Inspector last spoke. But the clock on the wall told me it had only been 5 minutes. The ugly smile was still pasted on his face. He was waiting…Waiting for me to say something unfortunate.848Please respect copyright.PENANA2sMJ4sCmce
848Please respect copyright.PENANACUjpMnQ6kS
“Then who had something to do with it, Amy?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAlYuFjs1cjk
848Please respect copyright.PENANA0yvj2CACfU
“If I knew I would have told you.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAgpmPqg5ev9
848Please respect copyright.PENANAw0rVWkNAg6
“So…You are saying you knew nothing about this murder?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAzxPoGV6E79
848Please respect copyright.PENANADjP5sI7HJe
“Yes…” The moment the word left my mouth, the Inspector’s face lit up. His eyes danced with excitement as he talked in length about me hanging around backstage.848Please respect copyright.PENANAds4M55co5p
848Please respect copyright.PENANAF02CFEH7l8
“If anything, you were trying to knock the poisoned drink out of her hands. How did you know?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAvSjFJUySB4
I was horrified. How could I admit…848Please respect copyright.PENANAahFf3Z554W
848Please respect copyright.PENANACYFcOcBmue
“I didn’t…” I blurted out. “It was an accident.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAkmAF8OTYGE
848Please respect copyright.PENANAyjudvodHis
“Lawrence has already given his statement. He clearly says it was a deliberately done. I may not believe his wild claims but I have no reason to believe he’s lying about the facts.”848Please respect copyright.PENANABeAsjqKez2
848Please respect copyright.PENANAQbdXtQ9PPK
“He’s lying.” I said. “He and I are not in the best of terms.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAzzS4PHH1ce
848Please respect copyright.PENANAKr3CcuPgdn
“And why is that?”848Please respect copyright.PENANADau7uLNqw2
848Please respect copyright.PENANATaVw6iVLGA
“Nancy…She and Lawrence were…I didn’t like him. I tried to talk Nancy out of it but she wouldn’t listen. Then after her accident…”848Please respect copyright.PENANA8t24HCCYUG
848Please respect copyright.PENANARBwoDYHoCF
“His affections transferred from your friend to Jolly.” The Inspector finished. The implication of what I said hit me almost at once. I had handed him a sword to strike Nancy.848Please respect copyright.PENANAuxCRYiE73L
848Please respect copyright.PENANAbXqTNF2X4V
“Nancy wouldn’t kill anyone…And…We…I mean she doesn’t want to be my friend anymore.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAgwZWD0jGcr
848Please respect copyright.PENANAT8tByfSx1n
The Inspector raised an eyebrow. “Hasn’t forgiven you for seeing through him, huh?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAscsA90623B
848Please respect copyright.PENANA7ntn3iHLdm
I nodded. “I know Nancy. She may have a hot temper but she would never ever resort to murder. Besides…Sir…Would anyone really murder over high school stuff?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAwkLt9UF4Wd
848Please respect copyright.PENANAyPaHCDTxQ6
The Inspector laughed. The first non-malicious laughter I heard from him. “Girl…” He said. “I have seen murder and manslaughter happen for smaller reasons than high school drama.” Then in a more serious tone he added. “The best case scenario for you is that you somehow found out about the murder and was trying to stop it. But why didn’t you tell anyone instead of trying to clumsily knock the drink from her hand?”848Please respect copyright.PENANANfntqB8MdL
848Please respect copyright.PENANAsiweG4cwe1
“It was an accident.”848Please respect copyright.PENANA901uopD1El
848Please respect copyright.PENANAYy13i0L4UH
“The worst case scenario is that you aided one or both of your friends to commit murder…Either way…If you don’t start speaking the truth…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAYa7x4OjX4c
848Please respect copyright.PENANAKzCzcJ45aU
“I am speaking the truth…I don’t know. I honestly don’t know anything about the murder.”848Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZGmDwkNVF
848Please respect copyright.PENANA9m39mTjezn
The Inspector stood up and walked round the desk towards me. “I am only glad to put you away for the worst case scenario.” He whispered threateningly. “Just give me a reason…”848Please respect copyright.PENANA3Bp2ouuEgb
848Please respect copyright.PENANAAqNbD20ljJ
“I didn’t do it. “ I said. My heart was pounding rapidly inside my chest. Coherent thoughts evaded my brain. “If you want to arrest me because you have a grudge against Dad…fine. Do it.”848Please respect copyright.PENANABLtXPCCAJj
848Please respect copyright.PENANAlqxNPro32f
The Inspector didn’t back away but leaned closer and said. “Unless you start telling the truth…I will happily do just that.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAdMFHfyDEfU
848Please respect copyright.PENANAHxQsN44X14
“What if I give you a certain truth the manager of this school wants to hide?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAc54KlRJvzL
848Please respect copyright.PENANAGfIznCzKd1
This time the Inspector backed off. He glanced at me for a while and said. “What is this so called truth?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAE9k1BBOgNA
“There was an incident in this school 2 weeks ago. Jolly…She was in the centre of it all.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAm2rLhyGtTS
848Please respect copyright.PENANAnrZZBSG1Pg
“Interesting…”848Please respect copyright.PENANANcVmNGACtm
848Please respect copyright.PENANA2vz8CAelMN
“Our Physics Master, Roy Sir, and Mathematics Teacher, Linda Madam, were locked inside the Physics lab during lunch break. The one who locked them in was…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAs7Bs6awcHL
848Please respect copyright.PENANA4hKRhjuuXt
“Jolly…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAX7ypiVoy4s
848Please respect copyright.PENANAcRFuaznuiW
“Yes, Sir. The Physics lab is on the topmost floor, isolated from the rest of the school. Jolly…she…The things she accused them of in front of the whole school was downright disgusting….She was lying...but…“848Please respect copyright.PENANAlegLhW6n1c
848Please respect copyright.PENANAznwrksQlHg
“People believed her?”848Please respect copyright.PENANAzp4wYNNEDO
848Please respect copyright.PENANAohG9ow8RSs
“Jolly has a reputation of being the good girl. Except some of us…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAzE5Y1fDVz6
848Please respect copyright.PENANAV3tWMUDmmd
“How does your manager factor into this story?”848Please respect copyright.PENANA337Ev0Kg45
848Please respect copyright.PENANAz0NZStiGGN
“He put her up to it. There is a reason Jolly got picked for scholarship and won nearly all the prizes for the youth festival. Also…Her father is the manager’s dear friend.”848Please respect copyright.PENANACoFexgKIZn
848Please respect copyright.PENANAjcc9FZKiJX
“And why would he do such a thing?”848Please respect copyright.PENANA8ej9a1Nmjw
848Please respect copyright.PENANAyDp5MHtZy6
“Linda Madam…” I said slowly. “He…She told her brother, Benjamin Sir, about how he was stalking her and harassing her. There was a huge fight in the school office and…almost 3 days later…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAd5RMIlvwYw
848Please respect copyright.PENANAQVe0WloMPT
“The Incident in the Physics lab happens.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAsIUucRQUJS
848Please respect copyright.PENANA13mhwLWm6M
“After that…Jo from the shop came and attacked Roy Sir, claiming to be Linda Madam’s lover.” I saw the Inspector frown but he did not interrupt me. “Then we heard that Roy Sir’s wife left him and…”848Please respect copyright.PENANAaeIgUjMFJj
848Please respect copyright.PENANA7hnttF5OL0
“Looks like the girl had plenty of people around her who would willingly cut her throat.” He mumbled, darkly. Then, looking at me, he said. “Girl…You have been more than helpful to me today.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAFQWgtPTES7
848Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8gf55b6ce
“Michel Sir said he’d expel anyone who tells you this story.”848Please respect copyright.PENANAOMxsNjLpte
848Please respect copyright.PENANAXwGpDn6G6o
The Inspector’s expression darkened. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that if I were you.” He said. There was a hint of a smile on his face.848Please respect copyright.PENANAOzXk0wReDV
848Please respect copyright.PENANAvwpAL9xiQb
To be continued...848Please respect copyright.PENANAyqAGnNzcHy